Teaching

Sheffield mathematics and statistics students learn in lots of different ways. In lectures, experts will introduce you to key concepts and the latest research, and in small group tutorials, you'll work through mathematics problems and increase your specialist knowledge with supportive academic staff. You'll also be able to learn to use specialist mathematics and statistics software, and complete research projects that tie all of your skills and knowledge together in a practical way.

Lectures

Expert mathematicians will explain essential concepts and the latest research in pure maths, applied maths, probability and statistics. The further you go in your degree, the more topics you have to choose from and the more opportunities you have to specialise.

Tutorials

You'll have regular problems classes, where you'll work in small groups as staff help you to understand and solve complex mathematical problems. This is a great chance to see how the ideas in your lectures work in practice, ask questions about areas you're struggling with, and get extra support from our friendly academic staff.

Programming classes

For some of your modules, you might have practical sessions to teach you how to use specialist mathematics software.

This can include the statistical modelling package R, the programming language Python, typesetting using LaTeX, and website design using HTML and CSS – all useful skills to have on your CV.

Research projects

Lots of modules include mini-research projects that give you the chance to put your mathematics knowledge into practice, and see a complex problem through from start to finish. You can also complete a teaching project with local schools through our Undergraduate Ambassadors Scheme.

If you do one of our research-intensive MMath degrees, you'll spend a third of your final year working on a major independent research project. This year is designed to prepare you for a career in research, with training in how to write mathematical reports and present your findings.

Sheffield Undergraduate Research Experience
Undergraduate students can apply to join the Sheffield Undergraduate Research Experience scheme. This gives you a bursary to spend around 10 weeks working with one of our department's research groups over the summer break. You'll be able to get first-hand experience of major research projects. It can even lead to your name appearing in an academic journal.

SPOTLIGHT

Guardian University Awards

A couple of years ago, we asked a radical question: what if we scrapped lectures?

We decided to take a 'flipped learning' approach to the teaching we run for engineering students at the University of Sheffield, putting an emphasis on spending as much time as possible with students in small groups. Lectures were replaced with 10-minute videos, online quizzes and twice as many tutorial sessions.

Students' marks improved as a result and we were runners-up in the Teaching Excellence category at the Guardian University Awards.

Dr Sam Marsh presents one of the online tutorials.

Excellence in teaching

All of our staff are committed to great teaching. The following lecturers have been given Senate Awards for Excellence in Learning and Teaching, one of the highest honours for University of Sheffield staff:

Dr Sam Dolan

Dr Frazer Jarvis

Dr Sam Marsh

Professor Nick Monk

Dr Eleanor Stillman

Professor Neil Strickland

Dr Simon Willerton

We timetable teaching across the whole of our campus, the details of which can be found on our campus map. Teaching may take place in a student’s home department, but may also be timetabled to take place within other departments or central teaching space.